Patent watch: a way for cops to intercept VoIP calls

Yesterday, I posted descriptions of three VoIP related U.S. patent applications published in the last three months.

There are a total of nine. I promised you three more. Here they are:

Stealth interception of calls within a VoIP network:

Folks, this is a real biggie.You are not a bad person, but bad people will use VoIP for bad reasons. Soif this patent application will make it easier for law enforcement or Homeland Security to listen in, that won' be a bad thing.

Here's the Abstract:

Stealth interception of calls within a VoIP Network for providing law enforcement related call interception capability. The VoIP network comprises of basically a SoftSwitch that offers IP based telephony services for subscribers over a packet network. Packet Interceptors are deployed in a packet network to non-intrusively monitor the signaling and media packets, which comprise a call in a VoIP Network. The Call Monitoring Engine on receipt of an intercept request from the Law Enforcement Agency notifies the packet interceptors to monitor for packets and the Voice Packet Receiver and Assembler for reception of voice packets. On detection of relevant packets the interceptors inform the Call Monitoring Engine of signaling packets and the Voice Packet Receiver and Assembler of voice packets. This packet information is processed and transmitted to the Law Enforcement Agency.

Two more:

Method for setting up a useful data link between terminals in a VOIP system:

"At least one switching instance is provided in a VoIP system in order to set up a useful data link between a calling terminal and a called terminal. A first signaling link is set up between each terminal and the at least one switching instance for interchanging information on the basis of a first protocol, a second signaling link is set up between them for interchanging information on the basis of a standardization second protocol, in which the useful data link is set up on the basis of the information interchanged on the basis of the second protocol. At least the second signaling link is initiated by the calling terminal, with the information which is transmitted via the first signaling link and in parallel via the second signaling link from the terminals being in each case combined."

Call routing method in VoIP based on prediction MOS value:

A call routing method in VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) capable of performing voice service assuring best voice quality is obtained by predicting voice quality using network parameters that affect the voice quality, and then performing a call routing to a gateway with a maximum MOS (Mean Opinion Score) value out of a gateway group. Also, actively responding to organically changing network environment and providing a best call routing path for the network environment before setting up a call, best voice quality can be provided.

Three more tomorrow. See ya then.